Utilz
Cron Expression Explainer
Explain cron expressions in plain English with next run times
Why Use This Tool?
- Understand complex cron expressions in plain English.
- See the next 5 scheduled execution times.
- Quick presets for common cron schedules.
How to Use
- Enter a cron expression (e.g., 0 */2 * * MON-FRI)
- Or click a preset for common schedules
- See the human-readable explanation below
- View the next 5 scheduled run times
FAQ
What is a cron expression?
A cron expression is a string of 5 fields (minute, hour, day of month, month, day of week) that defines a recurring schedule. It is used by cron daemons, task schedulers, and CI/CD pipelines.
How is this different from the Cron Generator tool?
The Cron Generator helps you build a cron expression from a UI. This Cron Explainer does the reverse — it takes an existing cron expression and explains what it means in human-readable language.
Does this support 6-field cron expressions?
This tool is designed for standard 5-field cron expressions (minute, hour, day of month, month, day of week). Some systems add a seconds field, which is not standard.
What do the special characters mean?
* means any value, / means step values (e.g., */5 = every 5), - means range (e.g., MON-FRI), and , means list (e.g., 1,15 = 1st and 15th).
Are day names supported?
Yes. You can use three-letter day names (MON, TUE, WED, THU, FRI, SAT, SUN) in the day-of-week field.